Portland voters will be asked to approve a 75% increase in the city’s parks levy this November.

Portland City Councilors voted 11-0 to refer a measure to the fall ballot that would increase property taxes for five years to maintain basic parks programs and operations.

“It’s not about expanding or increasing and improving shiny objects, but preserving what Portlanders love,” said Councilor Loretta Smith, who represents East Portland’s District 1. “Portlanders, they love our parks, our trails, our safe and clean community spaces. Without this funding, Portland risks the decline of some of our greatest assets.”

The current five-year parks levy, approved in 2020, taxes property owners $0.80 per $1,000 assessed value annually.

That means the owner of a house with an assessed value of $221,600 — the median for a Multnomah County home — pays $177 per year, or $15 monthly. The median commercial property owner pays about $251 per year, or $21 per month.

This money pays for community centers, pools, recreational classes, trash cleanup, minor maintenance and offering parks discounts to low-income households, among other programs.

The Nov. 4 ballot measure increases the taxing rate from $0.80 to $1.40. The median homeowner would pay about $310 a year and the median commercial property owner would pay around $440 annually. If approved, the levy would raise an estimated $84 million in the first year.

If the city renewed the levy at its current rate, the Parks Bureau would need to cut an additional $35 million from its $170 million annual budget. If the measure fails at the new rate, the bureau will face a $90 million budget shortfall and be forced to lay off about half of its staff.

District 4 Councilor Olivia Clark was absent from Wednesday’s meeting.

The vote came hours after the city announced the resignation of Portland Parks Director Adena Long. The Oregonian/OregonLive.com was the first to report on Long’s departure.

Long, who held the position for six years, was placed on administrative leave by city managers in June. City officials have not said what prompted this decision.

But some city officials have clashed with Long over her leadership – both publicly and behind closed doors. She oversaw the bureau during a particularly challenging time, as it grappled with declining revenue, budget cuts and a mushrooming maintenance backlog.

The parks levy hopes to make a slight dent in the $615 million in deferred maintenance costs. The ballot proposal would ensure that roughly 2% of levy revenue goes to maintenance costs. That would raise about $2 million annually.

That didn’t sit well with some members of the public who testified before the Wednesday vote.

“That’s not enough to make a dent,” said Bob Weinstein, a one-time council candidate who now works for a new local political advocacy group. He asked councilors to “significantly increase the share” of dollars going to maintenance.

Rob Martineau, president of AFSCME Local 189, which represents city workers, agreed that the capital maintenance commitments in the levy won’t “fix everything.”

“But this levy is a bridge to the future where we fund the park system we want and deserve,” Martineau said. “As Portlanders, we owe you, our new government, an opportunity to raise up our parks rather than oversee their decline.”

Councilor Candace Avalos, another District 1 representative, said she was disappointed that councilors weren’t able to approve a higher tax rate.

“I just feel that we missed the mark and we could have gone higher,” Avalos said. “I’m just hoping that we really talk about how we stop this cycle of underinvestment and deferred maintenance that will continue to lead to worse problems down the road.”

Other councilors have been wary to introduce any kind of tax hike, as recent polling reflects voters’ general opposition to higher taxes. Some members of the public shared this sentiment Wednesday.

“While I recognize the importance of parks and recreational facilities in our community, I believe that we as taxpayers have reached a breaking point with new taxes,” said Karen Chirre, who owns a convenience store downtown. “I’m all taxed out.”

Yet the levy increase has the support of the Portland Metro Chamber, the region’s largest business advocacy group, which has paid for research and polling on how local taxes have depleted local revenues and forced high-income earners and businesses to leave town.

Jon Isaacs, vice president of public affairs for the PMC, said that the quality of the city’s parks improves Portland’s competitiveness for new businesses and residents.

“Portland’s parks are more than amenities,” Isaacs said. “They are core economic assets.”

Before the final vote, councilors rejected several amendments that would have ensured certain programs and facilities get funded with levy dollars.

One, introduced by District 2 Councilor Sameer Kanal, would have used $140,000 to keep community centers open late on summer weekends, to create a safe space for youth to hang out. The other, brought by District 4 Councilor Eric Zimmerman, would have required the 2% in levy maintenance dollars to be reserved for bathroom maintenance.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/16/portland-councilors-75-percent-parks-levy-november-ballot/